White Roses
by DoctorKatie
Summary: Will Rose's curse topple the newfound romance between herself and the Doctor? Or strengthen it? ***Sequel going up shortly!**
1. Chapter 1

It was one of those obscenely perfect moments. The kind written about in dime-store romance novels. The moon was full. The beach was unseasonably warm and the sand cool and soft under her feet. She couldn't have hoped for a more lulling sound than the gentle crash of waves on the beach.

They were somewhere on the east coast of the US. The Doctor explained about the certain type of rocks found here and the unique smell of the Atlantic. Looking around, she appreciated the timelessness of the ocean and the beach. They had a time machine, and she was sure that you could travel back or forward a hundred years, and the beach would look much the same.

He held her hand. It seemed so comfortable. Sure, under the surface, there was a bubble of sexual tension; much like the boiling springs deep under the cool ocean. Just like, in the fact that the chance of that boiling water surfacing was just as unlikely as either the Doctor or herself taking a step toward anything more than friendship.

And yet, here they were. Against all bets.

"Rose?" The Doctor interrupted her introspection.

"Yeah?" Rose looked up into his face. Remembering what he's just said, reality came flooding back.

"I said I love you. I tried really hard not to. It complicates things for me. But I've wasted two years of our time together. I almost lost you at Canary Wharf, and I think it would have forced me into regeneration. A much darker me than my ninth self. Loosing you would be the worst thing that's ever happened to me, and it won't change anything for you to know it."

Rose's breath caught. Tears filled her eyes. The Doctor mistook her relief for pain, and he grimaced. "Of course, this doesn't have to change anything. You don't have to return my feelings, and you know I think you're brilliant regardless." He turned around.

Rose grabbed his shoulder. "You daft alien." And she kissed him. She kissed him with the force of two wasted years, and hundreds of lives they've saved together. She poured all her love and relief into that kiss, making him feel it, rather than hear it. He wrapped his hands around her slender waist and drew her in as he deepened the kiss.

Finally Rose and the Doctor had come together. The Bad Wolf and the Oncoming Storm.


	2. Chapter 2

The TARDIS whirred and whooshed to a stop in modern day London. The Doctor had to go off to a distant park of the universe for some rumored little gizmo that would make the sonic screwdriver work on wood. Having been on this quest before, Rose asked him to drop her at her mum's flat for the duration.

"Come on Rose! A planet made of wood! Even the electronics! Can you imagine?! Wooden technology!" The Doctor pleased with her to join him.

Rose chuckled at the man she loved. It's amazing that she'd grown so fond of his little obsessions. "Nah, Doctor. Besides. I need to get my washing done. All of that limitless potential in the TARDIS and you won't let me have a proper laundry!"

"I like the way the TARDIS cleans my clothes. No detergent-y smell." He made a face.

"I like the smell of detergent and fabric softener. Smells clean!" She stuck her tongue out and he snuck in for a kiss.

In the last few weeks, the new facet of their relationship had settled in and had become like second nature. They felt as though they were always meant to be together like this.

"Don't be gone too long, Doctor," Rose got out between the chaste little kisses. "And be safe."

"Always, my Rose," he smiled at her and got back into the TARDIS and took off, leaving Rose in front of the door to her mum's. A door that was already open, with a pair of cornflower blue eyes glaring out. The door swung open and her mum greeted her with wide arms and a forced smile.

"Rose! Darling! Come in, I wasn't expecting ya!" Jackie Tyler was not a stupid woman. And she didn't raise a stupid daughter.

"I know you saw mum. S'alright! Not like I wasn't gonna tell ya. Kettle on?" Rose dumped her duffle on the couch and plopped down with satisfaction. There was nothing like her mum's place when she was feeling tired. The old, overstuffed couch and a cup of tea were old friends. The smell of her mum's perfume permeated and she leaned back as her mum settled in. "Go ahead and grill me. I have laundry to do," Rose laughed.

Hours later, after the wash was done and dinner eaten, Jackie and her daughter went to the pub for a couple of pints and to watch the match with Howard. Rose laughed, drank a few too many, and enjoyed the relative normalcy of it all. She smiled as her mum cuddled in closer to Howard. Rose excused herself, using the excuse of a headache, so that her mum and her beau could spend a little time together.

Feeling a bit tipsy and regretting that fifth pint, she walked toward the Powell Estate. But just as always, her state of contentment couldn't last, and she wouldn't make it home to the estate that night.


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor returned three months later, a triumphant look on his face. He landed the TARDIS right in Jackie's living room and burst out the door. "Sorry I'm late! Guess what!"

He stopped short when he felt Jackie slap him across the face. "You listen here. I was worried sick when I got home on Thursday night and Rose was gone. I called her mobile thirty times! Where is she? Let me in." Jackie swung open the TARDIS door. "Rose Marion! Get your skinny hide out here! You gave me a fright!"

"What?!" The Doctor went in after Jackie. "Rose isn't here?"

"Oh, don't get clever. You swooped her up, right? After the pub? Her clothes are all gone too!" Jackie looked venomous.

The Doctor swooped to the console and zeroed in on Rose's coordinates. "No, Jackie, I swear to you I did not. I'll find her. I have a biometric scan of her. I can find her anywhere in the universe." The TARDIS dinged indicating a result. "She's here in London, but…" He looked confused. "She's moving around… and her vitals are… well…" He broke off. "I'm going to get her, Jackie. I'll be back." He unceremoniously pushed her out the door and the TARDIS dematerialized with a wheeze.

He found his Rose, looking a little less than Rose. Eleven weeks had gone by since he'd seen her, but he skin no longer held the bright pink undertones. She's stopped coloring her hair, and the deep brown color she'd been born with was now evident. Her eyes were dark and focused. Her jeans seemed to fit tighter and her tee shirt and boots were new, and black. Suited for running.

There was a young man next to her. Like him, he was much older than his appearance. Vampire. Honest to Rassilon vampire.

And he'd taken his Rose.


	4. Chapter 4

The Doctor stepped out of the shadows and locked the TARDIS. "Rose? I'm sorry I'm late." His face held that infinite sadness. She looked up and stopped in her tracks, the moonlight glinting off of her skin. He noticed the tattoo adorning her upper left arm and the bright pink ribbon tied in her hair. A speck of color and a bit of hope that his Rose hadn't changed that much.

"Doctor?" She sighed in relief. "I knew you wouldn't be much longer. Though you said three days, not three months." She walked over and stopped before she could hug him. Looking up into his eyes, almost as if for permission, she planted a small kiss on his lips. He sank in relief. Whoever this bloke was, he didn't steal Rose's love for him. The Doctor deepened the kiss.

When they broke apart, the Doctor was the first to speak. "Three months is too long to be away from you, Miss Tyler. Now, what's happened?"

"I honestly don't know, love. Ben and I woke up together like this. We've pieced together that we've changed, but we've no idea who did it or why. We woke up starving. But food made us sick. Then there was an incident… Just walking along the streets one morning feeling tired and weak, and Ben jumped some older man… and Doctor… I smelled the blood and I couldn't… I just… I drank with him. We killed him." Rose looked distressed.

"Now, Rose. Don't. Don't beat yourself up. You had no idea. I can't believe that the one who turned you both didn't stick around to explain things." The Doctor glanced at Ben, sizing him up.

"You're just changed, then Ben?" The vampire nodded.

"Yeah, same as Rose. We've been figuring things out. We don't need to kill to feed anymore. And we've rented a small flat, got night jobs."

The Doctor rounded on him. "That so?" The sonic screwdriver appeared in the Doctor's grasp. He did a quick scan. "Nope, Benny-boy. I'd say you've been around the vampire block. Three hundred or so years." He consulted the screwdriver again. "And your core DNA is human, augmented by the vampire virus… you turned my Rose. Why?"

Rose stepped back toward the Doctor, looking at her friend with shock. Ben had the sense to look shamed, not that the Doctor gave him much credit.

"Haven't you read Stephanie Meyer?" He laughed. "Vampires get lonely. I met Rose outside the pub and liked her instantly. She thought I was sick. She offered help, but all I needed was blood. I turned her and wiped her memories, pretending that I was turned too. Like our attacker escaped." He sighed. "She was kind, and a good friend. She's smart. I was starving because every time I fed, I drained the human. I was feeling guilty. She figured out that if we feed often, we can only take a little and leave the human alive. She's saved my life." He said that last looking into Rose's eyes, beseeching forgiveness. She looked away.

"Doctor? Can we go?" she asked. "I wanna see my mum, and I think she'll listen if you're there to buffer things." The Doctor glanced at Ben, and back at Rose.

"Do you still have your key?" he asked her.

"'Course, Doctor," she replied.

He nodded off toward the TARDIS. "I'll join you in a minute then."

Rose walked toward the TARDIS without looking back. The Doctor walked to Ben. "I'm unhappy with you. Rose is the most important part of my world, and you could have killed her. You couldn't have known that she was spoken for when you did this, but you have to know that it's unethical to change ANYONE without their consent. That being said, you may have done me a favor. For that, I forgive the rest. Eventually she will too." He handed the vampire a blue business card. "That's the phone number that will reach my ship. You call if you need anything. Be well."

The Doctor turned to leave. "Wait, Doctor," Ben said. "Rose told me you'd come for her. And I'm sorry I acted so hastily. I know what you mean, about the favor. She thought so, too. She loves you, and you're a lucky man."

The Doctor nodded. "That I am, Benny-boy. That I am."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N So, how are all of you beautiful Whovians? Hope you're well! I haven't published anything for years, and I'm changing that. Hope you have enjoyed this so far. I'm getting a kick out of writing it. Reviews and emails are welcome.

The Doctor closed the door to the TARDIS and leaned his back against the wood of the door, feeling his ship hum appreciatively against him. There were so many questions in his mind about Rose and how to proceed. She was sitting in the tattered jumpseat with her elbows on her knees. He walked up next to her and sat. Wrapping an arm around her back, and leaning into her he said, "I really didn't mean to be gone this long, love. I'm sorry. But I found another lead for the wood setting. Wasn't really worth the trouble, though."

Rose scoffed. "Yeah, well. Things are changed now. I'm changed. Doctor, I'm dead. I'm a vampire. I drink blood. How can you sit next to me and hold me like I deserve it."

"Because you're still my lovely, brilliant, _good_ Rose. You never meant to hurt anyone. I don't care that you're different. In fact, you're immortal now. I may not outlive you, and I have to be honest, it may be selfish, but I'm thrilled about that."

She smiled back, her old, joyful smile. "Me too. I love you, Doctor. Never stopped." He pulled her to him and they kissed. His fingers traced the raised lines of the wolf tattoo. "Never figured you for ink," he chuckled. "Or dark hair."

Rose laughed. "Yeah, I'm too pale to keep peroxiding my hair. It's going to stay dark from now on, I think. And I like the tattoo."

"Me, too," The Doctor confessed. "It's sort of naughty and… well… sexy," he finished impishly, leaning down to place a kiss of the wolf. Bringing her to him for another snog, he pulled her up onto his lap and showed her how much he missed her.

A few hours later (and a short walk to a more appropriate venue for this sort of, um…reunion…) Rose and the Doctor lay in bed laughing and cuddling. The Doctor had made some seriously corny Dracula references and Rose was pretending to be offended when she sat up straight and sobered.

"Um, Doctor?" she started. "Before I see mum, I need to take care of something. I'm famished." She got up and started to dress herself. When the Doctor got up too, she stopped him. "I don't want you to come. I don't want you to see this part."

"Rose, you don't have to hide from me. Besides –"

"No, Doctor! Do you get it? I have to go hypnotize someone and literally steal their blood."

"No, you don't, Rose." He offered her his wrist. "My blood is stronger than a human's. It's more aerated because I have two hearts moving it along. My DNA is also much more complex, so you don't have to take as much from me. I recoup within minutes of blood loss, so you can feed from me every day. You'll never have to hurt anyone again."

"What if I can't stop?" Rose was tempted by the smell radiating from the arm he was holding out to her. "What if I drain you? I couldn't live with myself."

"I can stop you. Trust me, Rose. This works for both of us." He pushed his wrist closer.

Unable to restrain herself, she took the proffered limb and stoked the pulse point. They sat on the bed and got close. "Ready?" she whispered, not taking her eyes from his. He nodded and she bit down into his flesh.


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor's blood flowed into her mouth and the taste was like no food or blood she'd ever had. A quick check of the Doctor's face confirmed that he was in no pain, rather, he looked to be enjoying himself.

A few more swallows and the most curious and intense thing happened. She was in his mind. And he in hers. She felt him exploring her memories. He saw the confusion and desperation of the last few weeks. He saw that she held out hope that he'd find her. He saw her debating a thousand times just going home to her mum, but not wanting to risk her safety. He saw her love for him.

Taking a deep breath, she ventured into his thoughts a little. She saw the red grass of his home on Gallifrey. Felt his joy at his first trip in the TARDIS. His heartbreak at destroying his home and his family. Then she saw herself. Rose inwardly gasped. The Doctor though of her as brave, and strong, and good, and…sexy. Very sexy. Even though he knew what she was now. That she'd killed someone. She didn't deserve him, but she was sure thankful for him.

She let go of his arm a moment later, more satiated than any other time she'd fed. Rose licked the blood from his wound, the natural coagulant in her saliva stopping the bleeding. "Thank you," she breathed. "Did you know that that would happen?"

"Nope. But, it makes sense. Vampires are telepathic, sometimes. Two telepathic races… joining…like that. I'm sorry I was gone so long, Rose. You're incredibly strong, you know. To have been so scared and alone. And you still made it," The Doctor had a sad pride in his eyes. Rose leaned into him.

"Thank you, Doctor. You know, with you around, I think I'll be okay."

He smiled. "I know you will, my Rose. My pale, white Rose."


	7. Chapter 7

"Rose Marion Tyler! A tattoo! You look just like some hooligan off the streets. You'll have that for the rest of your life, you know, so I hope you like it. And your beautiful hair! What have you done! It'll take weeks to set it straight now." Jackie was fuming.

"Mum. Have you got anything else to say? The fangs? The fact that I'm undead?" Rose could hardly believe it. Her mother's greatest protest was about a tattoo, not her craving for O-negative.

"Well, yeah. It's upsetting. You could have called or come 'round, though. You're my daughter, no matter what you eat," Jackie admonished. The Doctor had to give the woman credit.

"I like the ink, Jackie," he interrupted. "It sort of suits her." He laughed at the glare she shot him.

Rose hugged her mum with such force that she literally picked the woman up. "I love you, mum. Thanks for not freaking out about this."

"Oh, I'm freaking out. And you're coming around when it's time to clean under the furniture. Take you second to move that old sofa. Takes me all day."

Rose laughed and hugged her mother again. They stayed until Jackie went to bed, then hit the TARDIS. "You tired, Rose?" the Doctor asked.

"Nah. Don't sleep much anymore. I'm a bit nocturnal, too. I won't burn up in the daylight, but it hurts my eyes and makes me feel tired," she explained.

"So, is it safe to assume you would want to hit the road? Vortex? Whatever?"

A smile split her face in half. "Thought you'd never ask."


End file.
